1. Undergraduate Research in Automotive Manufacturing Systems at
Auburn University
J. Valenzuela1, G.A. Davis, and L. Sims
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Auburn University, AL, USA
Index Terms: undergraduate research, automotive research, manufacturing systems, industrial engineering.
Abstract
In order to address the research needs of the growing automotive manufacturing industry and the new
employment opportunities for engineering students in the southern United States, we have developed a
research experience for undergraduate (REU) site with a focus on automotive manufacturing systems. The
REU is currently funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for three years. The site consists of
hosting ten engineering undergraduate students from different academic institutions each year for an 8-week
summer research experience at Auburn University. The REU Site provides participating students with hands-
on experiences in research and encourages them to pursue a research career in engineering as well as
advanced degrees. In this paper, we describe our experiences with the REU site in terms of student
recruitment and selection, communication, program administration, organizational involvement, and research
results. We also provide an analysis on student and faculty feedback following the first year of the program.
I. AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN ALABAMA
The effect of globalization is dramatically changing the face of the automotive manufacturing industry in
the United States [7]. Due to business incentives, rural development, and low-cost labor available in the
southern states, foreign automotive manufacturers and their suppliers have recently established
manufacturing complexes of production facilities in the southeast. In Alabama, these include industry leaders
such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz. In the southeast, the automotive industry
accounts for more than 150,000 jobs, and the region has the greatest employment expansion rate of any
geographic region in the U.S. A study conducted by the University of Alabama Huntsville reported 263
automotive related plants in the state of Alabama alone [1], encompassing 44,834 jobs in 2005, an increase
of 44% from 2003. The study also indicates that there were 29 new automotive related plants established in
Alabama between 2004 and 2005. Recent expansion announcements by Toyota (in Huntsville, AL),
Mercedes (in Vance, AL), Honda (in Lincoln, AL), and Hyundai (in Montgomery, AL) demonstrate that the
growth of the automotive industry in Alabama has not yet finished [4]. These newly expanded facilities are
some of the most advanced assembly and manufacturing plants in North America. Hyundai, for example,
constructed a $1.1 billion plant in Montgomery, AL (about 60 miles from Auburn University) and employs
more than 3300 workers. This year, KIA Motors Corp., a subsidiary of Korean automaker Hyundai, has
begun the construction of a $1.2 billion manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, which is about one half
hour from Auburn University.
International automotive suppliers have also been attracted to Alabama. Hyundai has more than
72 suppliers located in the U.S., primarily in Alabama. Uni-Tech, a Korean automotive supplier that
produces a variety of automation technology products for tier one suppliers of Hyundai, has opened in
Tallassee, Alabama. Maxforma Plastics LLC, a division of the leading Korean plastics manufacturer Hanwha
L & C Corporation, has located one of its plants in Opelika, Alabama. Mando America Corp., a maker of
brakes, suspension and steering systems, expanded its facility and relocated its U.S. headquarters from
Detroit to Opelika. Fig. 1 provides an illustration of the widespread automotive supplier base within
Alabama [1] and some of the REU student activities.
1
E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

2. Fig. 1. Automotive Suppliers in Alabama and REU Student Activities
II. REU SITE DESCRIPTION
In order to address the research needs of the growing automotive manufacturing industry and the new
employment opportunities for engineering students, we have established an REU Site with a focus on
automotive manufacturing systems. The REU Site hosts 10 undergraduate students each year for an 8-week
summer research experience at Auburn University.
The short-term objectives of the program are:
• Educate qualified students to develop a diverse engineering research experience to prepare them for
future engineering careers
• Expand student participation in multi-disciplinary engineering research.
The long-term objectives are:
• Motivate qualified undergraduate engineering students to conduct research and to solve challenging
problems that involve technology, people, and capital.
• Encourage students to attend graduate school
• Track participants in the early stages of their career to quantify the impact of their REU experience.
The recruitment of students for this REU Site is based on their career goals, academic achievement, and
interest in the automotive manufacturing industry. They are recruited through advertisements, personal
invitations, and by research faculty involved with the REU Site program. To recruit industrial engineers, we
sent emails to the Council of Industrial Engineering Department Heads (CIEADH) and also directly to every
student chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) in the U.S. We have developed a Web site [8] for
the student recruitment and selection process. In support of NSF goals to recruit women, underrepresented
minorities, and persons with disabilities in research, we used the national website of Society of Women
Engineers (SWE). Additionally, our college hosts the BellSouth Minority Engineering Program which is
involved with our Department to recruit underrepresented minorities nationwide. Our recruitment efforts are
also directed toward colleges where research is not their principal activity.
Immediately after the deadline passed for students to apply for the Auburn ISE-REU, all the applications
were input into an Access database for analysis. Our goal was to have a diverse group from many different
institutions (especially those without research opportunities for students), matching the student’s primary or
secondary research interest to an appropriate project, and matching the student’s undergraduate studies and
coursework to projects. We also considered the student’s GPA and their interest and/or experience in the
automotive industry. After this analysis, 10 applicants were chosen for invitations and all 10 accepted. Our
REU students included 7 males and 3 females including 3 ethnic minorities. They came from 10 different
universities and from 9 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North
Carolina, Oklahama). Most of the students were matched to their 1st or 2nd research area of choice. All of
the students were either junior or senior Industrial or Mechanical Engineering majors.
1
E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

3. The REU Site benefits from current research activities at Auburn University that involve multidisciplinary
efforts between the Departments of Industrial and Systems Engineering [3], Mechanical and Materials
Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering. Some of these research activities are performed
under the NSF Industry / University Cooperative Research Center (the only IUCRC located in Alabama) and
the Center for Advanced Vehicle Electronics (CAVE) [2]. At Auburn, this research center provides a rich
research environment as it is dedicated to working with industry in developing and implementing new
technologies for the packaging and manufacturing of electronics with special emphasis on the cost, harsh
environment, and reliability requirements of the automotive industry. The center focuses on the vehicle
electronics supply chain including tier one suppliers, such as DaimlerChrysler Electronics and Yazaki’s
NACOM facility, as well as component and materials suppliers including ST Microelectronics and Cookson
Electronics. The center also includes other non-automotive vehicle designers, notably, NASA and the US
Government’s Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) operation. These industrial partners
routinely guest lecture within the classroom to promote a better understanding of “real world” applications of
vehicle electronics technology.
Our REU Site provides participating students with hands-on experiences in research and encourages them
to pursue a research career in engineering. The participants are involved in projects that aim to expose them
to theory and practice of problem solving techniques involving data collection, statistical analysis,
computational modeling, and experimental design of problems related to the automotive manufacturing
industry. We offer structured training activities to guide experiences in research. During the 8-week period,
we offer seminars on research methods, safe laboratory practices, research ethics, intellectual property, and
commercialization techniques. We prepare students pertaining to their professional development as well by
offering workshops on oral presentations and technical report writing. A seminar on how to apply to
graduate schools is also part of the training. These seminars are organized by the PIs with the support of staff
from the Library and the Graduate School at Auburn University. During the first few weeks, we introduce
the students to skills such as literature searching and review, research design, laboratory research techniques,
written and oral presentation, as well as working in a team environment. Students participate in their research
projects starting the first week of their REU experience. Table 1 provides the agenda of the program for
2007. Visits to automotive related companies provide students with exposure to advanced technologies, and
an appreciation and insight into engineering issues of industrial applications.
Table 1: List of Activities of 2007 REU Site
Week Professional Activity Social Activity
1 Research Methods Opening lunch
2 Library Research Skills
3 Industry Visit to Hyundai Automotive and a Pizza Night
logistics tour of a minor league baseball
stadium
4 Research Involving Humans
5 Sharing Research Findings Atlanta Aquarium & Baseball
6 Industry Visit to Mercedes Benz
7 Career Development Burger Night
8 Graduate School opportunities
9 Industry visit to Mando America Corp
10 Poster Session Appreciation Dinner
A faculty mentor, a faculty advisor, and a graduate student are assigned to each REU student. They
provide the necessary guidance, encouragement, and support to the students. The PIs make sure that the
research projects provide the students with opportunities to learn the fundamentals of research and apply
them to solve real world problems. We look for research projects that involve activities such as data
collection, data analysis, system modeling, result interpretation, report writing, and poster presentation.
Although participating students interact one on one with their faculty mentors, seminars and workshops are
conducted in a group. Engineering professionals from local companies are invited to give technical
presentations. We have also social events where student participants and faculty sponsors interact in a more
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E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

4. informal setting. The students live in a university residence hall which is within a five-minute walk to
campus. We provide lockers, computers, and desks for the REU students in one of the labs in the Industrial
Engineering department, in close proximity to the mentors and graduate students. This also allows the
students to have informal interaction with each other during the work day.
The mentors and graduate students are primarily concerned with the research efforts of the REU student.
Each of the PI’s also serves as an advisor to 3-4 of the REU students. The advisor’s role is to help resolve
any problems that might arise for the students in housing, meals, transportation, relationships with other
REU students or their mentors, etc. In this way, we could insure that corrective action is taken quickly if
problems arise.
III. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT
The REU Site is hosted by the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at Auburn
University. Auburn University is one of the South's premier land grant institutions and the largest university
in Alabama, with an enrollment of approximately 23,000. The university provides the highest priority of
resource allocation to undergraduate and graduate education and research. The Department of Industrial and
Systems Engineering has a long and respectable reputation in providing an excellent teaching and producing
high quality research. The Department has been awarding degrees since 1931 and has over 4,000 living
alumni. The undergraduate program is ranked 26th and the graduate program ranked 20th by Gourman
Reports [6]. In 2008, U.S. News and World Reports ranked the ISE program 21st in the nation and 15th
among public institutions. The ISE program is the highest ranked engineering program at Auburn
University. The Department offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in industrial and systems
engineering. The annual research expenditures are over $1.5 million.
The technical capability existing at Auburn University in vehicle technology and Auburn’s commitment to
the automotive industry is shown in part by the development of a new minor in Automotive Engineering &
Manufacturing. The minor includes courses in vehicle design, power-train performance, and automotive
manufacturing systems. This educational program builds on several existing courses in vehicle design and
performance, materials, electronics, devices, and manufacturing. It also adds new courses targeting the
educational needs of the automotive industrial or manufacturing engineer. The educational program has
involved a multidisciplinary effort between the Departments of Industrial and Systems Engineering and
Mechanical and Materials Engineering. This program was initiated by a recent $400,000 award from the
National Science Foundation (NSF) for undergraduate automotive education.
The ISE Department currently has six full professors, three associate professors, two assistant professors,
and one research assistant professor. The Department is very much a mid-sized department relative to all
other Industrial Engineering departments in the U.S. The Department is within the Samuel Ginn College of
Engineering, which is home to three of the seven Auburn University Peaks of Excellence, as well as to
twelve research centers, and numerous department laboratories. In addition to two computer laboratories
with a total of 40 personal computers with technical software, the Department has numerous laboratories
dedicated to occupational safety and ergonomics, electronics manufacturing, and machining and metrology.
The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering is in the final stages of constructing the new $108-million
Transportation Technology Center. The Department has recently moved into the new Shelby Transportation
Technology Center (figure 2). The Center is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms that
support the Department's mission of teaching, research, and service. Participating students have access to the
Auburn University Libraries that contain over 2.7 million volumes as well as 2.6 government documents and
2.5 million microforms. The Libraries receive over 35,000 current periodicals, many which are available
online. In addition, the library provides access to over 227 electronic databases.
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E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

5. Fig. 2. Research facilities
Last year, the Industrial and Systems Engineering department purchased and installed two major new
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines (see figure 3). The addition of these two industrial grade
machines, along with the recent department upgrade to MasterCAM X and Eclipse, provide us with state-of-
the-art CAD/CAM/CNC research equipment. A primary leverage for additional research equipment is
CAVE. This center offers superior laboratory equipment such as a MPM solder paste screen printer, AQ
Assembleon Placement Machine, Heller Reflow Oven, Phoenix X-Ray Machine, Viscom Inspection
Machine, and CAM/Lot Dispense Machine. Ergonomics and safety equipment available to undergraduate
students includes; physiological monitoring (heart rate, blood pressure, and EMG), biomechanical equipment
(force plate, balance master, lumbar motion monitor, and Vicon Motion Capture System). Additionally, the
labs are equipped with a number of hand-held human factors and environmental (noise, thermal, and
vibration) testing equipment.
Fig. 3. ISE New CNC Machines
A. Representative Sample of Automotive Manufacturing System Research Projects
1) Improving the Inspection Process of Automotive Audio Systems
The inspection process of an audio system manufactured by Siemens VDO, a tier one supplier to the
automotive industry located in Huntsville, Alabama, involves a series of 124 tests. Due to the fact that
more than one million systems are manufactured every year, even a small reduction in the testing time
would greatly impact the cost drivers of production cost and profit. The inspection tests are categorized
into three types, namely functional, calibration, and procedural. The calibration tests are performed early in
the inspection process and precede the functional tests. Certain precedence constraints also exist among the
calibration tests. Functional tests, on the other hand, do not have any precedence relationships among
themselves but most require all calibration tests to be completed before them. Procedure tests do not have
any precedence relationships among them or with the other calibration and functional tests. There are 65
calibration tests, 55 functional tests, and 4 procedure tests in the inspection process of an audio system.
Once a fault is detected on a unit, the inspection process is terminated and the unit is sent for repair. The
objective of this project was to find the sequence in which the tests should be carried out so that the
expected total inspection time can be minimized while satisfying all precedence constraints.
1
E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

6. Fig. 4. Inspection Station of an Automotive Audio System.
The student was involved with modeling the optimization problem and using collected data
corresponding to inspection times of each test and the number of defects from the production lines of the
electronics manufacturer (see figure 4). The data was used as a basis to characterize inspection times and
probabilities of failure for developing the optimization model.
2) Characterizing Automotive Manufacturing Tasks in Terms of Fatigue Measurements
This project was designed to measure physiological work loads associated with tasks typically
associated with certain aspects of automotive manufacturing (see figure 5). The underlying safety and
ergonomic principles are directly applicable to the development and modification of work-rest schedules
of interest to automotive manufacturers and their associated suppliers. This research project integrated
two REU engineering undergraduate students into a project team comprised of safety & human factors
graduate students, and the faculty mentor, to design, construct (experimental apparatus), collect human
performance data, analyze, propose improvements to existing work-rest rotation schedules, and write a
project report, dealing with all aspects of the study. The project team completed enough of the initial
effort (obtain human subjects testing approval, construct initial test apparatus) timed such that the
undergraduate students were seamlessly integrated into the project without unnecessary delay. The
undergraduates work closely on all parts of the project, under the direct supervision of industrial
engineering senior doctoral students, and are monitored daily by the faculty mentor.
Fig. 5. An Assembly Task
The project intends to characterize each particular task in terms of the physiological, biomechanical,
and psychophysical consequences to the worker. An experimental apparatus, typical of automotive
manufacturing environments (large shelving unit and assembly line section) has been constructed in a
laboratory setting, providing a controlled environment. Four measures (physiological, biomechanical,
psychophysical and work measurement) were determined. The REU undergraduates learned to use
laboratory techniques to collect basic human performance data typically associated with ergonomics
research projects.
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E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

7. IV. PROGRAM ASSESMENT
To assess our program objectives, we conducted two surveys. One survey was administered during the
first day of the research program and a second survey was carried out during the last day of the program.
During the entry survey, the students were asked questions pertaining to how they selected the REU
program, the quality of the application process, effectiveness of communication with program PIs,
assessment of their previous technical knowledge on automotive manufacturing, and statement of their
demographics. During the survey after the program was completed, the students were asked questions
pertaining the quality of the housing and meals, quality of the provided information during orientation, and
effectiveness of the communication during the REU program. They were also asked to rate the workshops,
tours, social activities, the mentors, and program leaders. In this report, we provide a sample of the answers
to three important questions that we think summarize the success of our program during the first year.
A. Question 1: Rate the people that you were involved with in the project. Choose from the following list of
ratings: Strongly Disagree, Disagree Somewhat, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Agree
Somewhat, Strongly Agree.
Results:
The Program leaders were helpful/accessible: 9 students 'Strongly Agreed' and 1 student 'Agreed
Somewhat'.
My advisor (non-technical) was helpful/accessible: 8 students 'Strongly Agreed' and 2 students
'Agreed Somewhat'.
The other REU students were helpful/accessible: 9 students 'Strongly Agreed' and one student
'Neither Agreed nor Disagreed'.
My mentor was helpful/accessible: 8 students 'Strongly Agreed', 1 student 'Neither Agreed nor
Disagreed', and 1 student 'Disagreed Somewhat'.
B. Question 2: What did you learn from your experience?
Answers:
“I learned more about what Industrial Engineering is and what areas it encompasses. I learned how
important it is to like what you are doing for work and that you should really like a research
project before you start it”.
“I learned the importance of ergonomics (with respect to physiology) in a manufacturing environment
and how it can be used as a lean manufacturing technique.”
“How to better motivate myself to work independently. Also, how to help form a cohesive group of
people when everyone is so different”.
“I learned how to do a literature review in a more systematic way and other research tools. I learned
different things to help with graduate school.
“Working with people is always a learning experience”.
“Persistence”.
“I leaned how to use Excel and Visual at a very advanced level. I saw algorithms that are usually
taught at a graduate level. I got to see state of the art plants (Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai)”.
C. Question 3: Has this REU experience changed your perception of automotive manufacturing research?
Answers:
“I didn't have any perception before. Now, I am more interested in research relating to automotive
manufacturing”.
“Yes, there are more things that can be applied to auto manufacturing than I had realized”.
“Yes, I can now see that suppliers are essential for the integrity of automotive assembly plants”.
“Yes, it has, I did not know much about the automotive industry. This program helped me to learn
more information about it! I enjoyed all the plant visits and hands on learning”.
“Yes, it was nice to see many different types of factories and how they manufacture differently but
similarly”.
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E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu

8. “Yes, it has helped me realize there are many aspects of the automotive industry that relate to all
kinds of engineering”.
“Yes I came with no knowledge at all. Now I do know what research is; especially in automotive
manufacturing”.
On his REU exit survey, one of the students wrote “I plan on applying to Auburn University (for graduate
school). I feel as if I would get a great education here and have enjoyed every moment of this REU
program.” The student was true to his word, and he did apply and has been accepted to pursue his MS
degree in our Department starting Fall semester (08). He intends to work in the Ergonomics/Safety area, and
because of his outstanding undergraduate record and research experience during the REU, he has been
awarded a full tuition and stipend fellowship from the Department’s NIOSH funded Center for Occupational
Safety and Health. Additionally, a second REU student has been accepted to graduate school in our
Department, and we have had a repeat visit from a third REU student who intends to apply to our graduate
program, next year. We believe that we are very fortunate to be able to use the REU for recruiting some of
the nation’s best engineering students into our graduate program here at Auburn University. This indirect
benefit of the REU has truly been beneficial for our program and we look to repeat this experience this
summer, where ten students coming from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Louisiana Tech University,
Jacksonville State University, Rice University, University of Oklahoma, University of Arkansas Fayetteville,
University of Michigan, Auburn University, and Milwaukee School of Engineering will participate in the
program.
V. CONCLUSIONS
We believe our first summer’s REU program was successful based on the feedback from the participants.
However, we plan to continuously improve the REU program as we become more knowledgeable about the
processes of recruitment, administration, and execution of the program. Some of the improvements we
intend to make are discussed in this section. Although we believe that our participant population was
diverse, we plan to use an NSF-funded computer program developed by Dr. Juan Gilbert [5] at Auburn
University to help us choose our students for next summer’s REU. Also, we plan to lengthen the application
window to attract more applicants. The first summer we had all applicants living two to a room, except one
male and one female lived alone because there was an odd number (7-3). This arrangement required the
program to pay for one extra room and we received negative feedback about the “unequalness” from the
participants. We will attempt to have an even number of males/females for the remaining two REU
programs. We had some of the students work alone and some work on two-person teams and the feedback
received is that working on the teams was more productive and satisfying for the students and mentors. Next
summer we will have all the students work on two-person teams for their primary research project. This also
allows us to reduce the number of projects (and subsequently the number of mentors) from 10 to 5, which is
much easier to manage. We also plan to have our REU students interface with students attending REUs in
other departments at Auburn University. Another enhancement is that we will have our students give more
frequent and informal updates on their projects to each other, the PIs, and the mentors.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research program was supported by the National Science Foundation under the grant ECS-0648112.
REFERENCES
[1] Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association, “Alabama’s Automotive Manufacturing Industry is Sizzling,” press release,
available at: http://www.aama.to/2005-survey-press.pdf, February 17, 2006.
[2] Center for Advanced Vehicle Electronics, http://cave.auburn.edu/.
[3] Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, http://eng.auburn.edu/programs/insy/index.html.
[4] Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, http://www.edpa.org/developments/developments_Jan_06.htm.
[5] Gilbert, J.E., “Applications Quest: Computing Diversity,” Communications of the ACM, 49, 3, pp. 99-104, 2006.
[6] Gourman Report, available at: reportwww.collegeconfidential.com/college_rankings/gourman_report.htm.
[7] Span, M. S. “Tracking the Growth of Alabama’s Automotive Manufacturing Industry”, Office of Economic Development,
University of Alabama in Huntsville, May 2003. Available at: http://www.uaheconomicdevelopment.org/autosurvey02.pdf.
[8] REU in Automotive Manufacturing Systems, website http://www.eng.auburn.edu/department/ie/reuauto.
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E-mail: jvalenz@eng.auburn.edu